artists of amber in contemporary jewellery

[vc_row el_position=”first”] [vc_column width=”2/3″] [vc_single_image image=”6113″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”] [/vc_column] [vc_column width=”1/3″] [vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] I love to dive. Into the depth of the oceans, into the colours of nature, into the subconscious. Through imagination the undiscovered world of inward beings is brought to daily life till a piece of jewelry is created. The question is not “Where does my inspiration come from?” But “Where does it end?”. Where it has no limits and no rules, it is inexhaustible. With myriads of sources, in all shapes and colors, it develops itself. An unsatisfied thirst for knowledge, which drives to work, creates unique pieces that tell a story. The devotion to nature and jewelry rewarded with an open field of imagination, inspiration that’s wearable, and moreover an absolute revelation of one’s own feeling. [/vc_column_text] [/vc_column] [/vc_row] [vc_row el_position=”last”] [vc_column] [vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Far below the horizon, in the darkness of the ocean it lives unobserved by humans. Where the light goes out and ceases to exist, romp creatures of unknown nature. They lure us in mysterious ways, open up their habitat and run off with us into their closed world. Some of these artefacts look like druses some remind of […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”] [vc_column width=”2/3″] [vc_single_image image=”5767″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”] [/vc_column] [vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″] [vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Valdis Brože believes amber is made up of stories. “Having travelled through time and space, amber has soaked up all that has taken place before and it has then hardened into historical fact.” According to Brože, amber sublimates finality and does not wish to reveal more than is already visible. By touching the stone’s surface and working it, the artist attempts to awaken the amber in the hopes of obtaining answers. Brože has given names to the pieces in his “Atmiņu gabali” (Pieces of Memory) collection: “the big, talkative one” tells about the sea, light and silence; “the blond, pensive one” tells about fir trees, the wind and bird voices…. It feels as if the desire to approach the stone is so immense that it is finally willing to reveal itself. Brože studied metal design and has a Bachelor’s degree in visual communications from the Art Academy of Latvia. Since 1996 he has participated in many group exhibitions in Latvia, Russia and elsewhere in Europe. [/vc_column_text] [/vc_column] [/vc_row] [vc_row el_position=”last”] [vc_column] [vc_gallery type=”image_grid” interval=”3″ onclick=”link_image” images=”5769,5770,5768″ custom_links_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”] [/vc_column] [/vc_row]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5761″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Sara Gackowska attempts to define the boundaries of possibility for stones and jewellery-making by understanding the contemporary expression of form and content. “The material becomes the mirror of the visual image of my thoughts and experiences,” she explains. She has a special relationship with material and an ability to feel its qualities and enter the material, all the while keeping in mind the importance of context. These, then, are the instruments Gackowska uses to create objects that speak a language of their own. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Gackowska has a Master’s degree in industrial design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. She has participated in several student exchange programmes and studied jewellery-making at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Imatra, Finland. Since 2009 she has participated in group exhibitions worldwide, and in 2012 she won the Grand Prix at the Amberif Design Award competition in Gdansk. [/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” interval=”3″ onclick=”link_image” images=”5762,5763,5764″ custom_links_target=”_self” el_position=”last”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5753″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Paweł Kaczynski works in a variety of disciplines, but his main and most powerful mode of expression is nevertheless jewellery. His style is characterised by surprising combinations of materials, and amber is one his identifying marks not only in his native Poland but worldwide. Kaczynski is unique in his ability to transform silver, steel and aluminium to look more like textiles than metalwork. Like a spider, Kaczynski “weaves” amber into his metallic webs, which seem to be created of fragile threads. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Kaczynski graduated from the Academy of Art in Łódź. He began making jewellery in 1990 and became a member of the Poland Jewellers’ Association five years later. He is a member of the Six artists’ group, who are united by a desire to create uncommon, extraordinary and unique pieces of jewellery. Since 2001 this group of six artists has organised over 20 exhibitions in Poland, Great Britain, Austria and Sweden. Kaczynski himself has participated in more than 100 exhibitions worldwide and has won several awards. His work can be seen in the Kaliningrad Amber Museum (Russia), the Jewellery Art Museum in Kazimierz Dolny (Poland) […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5774″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Nikolai Balabin believes amber is one of the most inspiring materials in jewellery-making; it is like a window to the past. “When I find a piece of amber that inspires me, I put it in my pocket and carry it with me. I can take it out at any time and look at it. After all, its mystical inner light wakens my imagination and I hear stories. And then I start to materialise them, all the while trying to preserve the natural form and structure of the stone.” He accentuates amber’s uniqueness by using patinated silver for the background, which contrasts well with the sun-like brilliance of amber. Pick up one of his realistic miniature objects, and you can feel the warmth of the amber and see its magical light. You might even hear it, says Balabin. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Balabin is a certified architect, having graduated from the St. Petersburg Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1991). He also graduated from the College of Crafts and Design in Lappeenranta, Finland, with a specialisation in jewellery-making and stonework design (1996). Since 2000 he has organised 13 solo exhibitions […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5743″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] With her amber collection Nataša Grandovec is attempting to destroy her own stereotypes. “I thought it was only my grandmother and her friends who wore amber brooches and necklaces.” So Grandovec has deliberately gone the light-hearted route, desiring to rid herself and amber of associations that have followed her since childhood and that have relegated amber to the role of being an accessory for maturity and the end of life. Her work is characterised by that happy, over-abundant lightness found in, for example, children’s toys. Brooches with a touch of summer-sky blue gleaming next to amber and silver, or an amber “ice cream” with a dark red “cherry” attached to a plane of tarnished silver – these are accessories that are able to add a thing or two not only to seriousness but also to frivolity. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Grandovec graduated from the Metropolitan University in London in 2000 and has a Bachelor’s degree in fine art from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (2002) in Canada. Since 1998 she has actively participated in group exhibitions throughout Europe. In 2008 Grandovec received the Europa Donna grand […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5736″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Not only does form as a whole play an important part in Māris Šustiņš’ jewellery, but so do details. And sometimes very minute details. It seems the artist is always yearning to tell a story, and this time is no exception. Šustiņš’ collection of five rings portrays the development of a flower – from bud to fruit – and symbolises the formation of a personality over the span of a lifetime. He explains: “The golden blossom in China, the lotus in India, the rose in Persia and Europe…. This time I chose the yellow waterlily as my flower, which is symbolically closely related to what happens in a person. The roots of this flower stretch deep into the soil, the stem grows through the water and the golden blossom opens above the water, in the sunshine. This flower can be considered a symbol of the person, whose physical body is his earthly foundation and who then spiritually develops through emotions (water) and his mind (air). By thus growing and perfecting himself, he blooms in spirit (the sun) and light.” [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Šustiņš graduated from the Metal Design […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5728″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Māris Auniņš has always stood out from other jewellers with his special piety towards material and his ability to accent a material’s uniqueness. His “Amber Square” is the union of two magical archetypes into one unified whole. Amber, one of the most ancient pure geological materials, and the square, the image of harmony and orderliness, form the foundation of his jewellery collection. The composition is comprised of four rectangular brooches of various sizes that can be combined in any way to form a square. Describing the essence of his idea, Auniņš says, “My collection is based on laconism – a clean geometric form – that accentuates the uniqueness of Baltic amber.” [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Auniņš graduated from the Metal Design Department at the Tallinn Art Institute (now the Estonian Academy of Arts) in 1980. Since then he has organised many solo exhibitions in Latvia and Germany, and since 1987 he has participated in group exhibitions worldwide. His work can be seen in the Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design collection as well as private collections in Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, the United States and […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5711″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Jānis Vilks’ jewellery is monumental, laconic in form and seeks to reveal the uniqueness of materials. All of these characteristics are present in his amber jewellery collection, which has preserved the natural form and texture of this gem born of resin. The artist has intervened only so much as to adapt the material to human anatomy. Vilks has also used mammoth tusk – another material with a similar place and manner of origin as amber and that likewise evokes the ancient world. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Vilks has studied metal design and also stage design at the Art Academy of Latvia and has continued his education in a variety of stage design and painting masterclasses (1991-2000). He has participated in group exhibitions in Latvia and abroad since 1990. In 1991 Vilks won the prestigious Grand Prix award at the Prague Quadrennial. [/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” interval=”3″ onclick=”link_image” images=”5712,5713″ custom_links_target=”_self” el_position=”last”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5722″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column el_position=”last” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Maria Cristina Bellucci studies the interactions between a very large variety of materials and utilises these in her work. But she is also interested in the chemical composition and unique number of atoms in each raw material as well as the ability of amber to conduct electricity and thereby link the most diverse substances in a unified chain. Reading the descriptions of her artwork can be truly confusing due to the many chemical element symbols used in place of philosophical contemplation. And suddenly it’s no surprise to find out that Bellucci studied alchemy in Florence in 2008. The result of her creative experiments is a series of necklaces of varying lengths that can be turned in the fingers like a rosary, allowing the wearer to feel the materiality of silver, amber, papier-mâché, epoxy resin, rubber and marble and also look upon them as objects that illustrate scientific formulas. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first”] Bellucci has a degree in stage design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome (1989) and has studied jewellery-making technique at the San Giacomo School of Ornamental Arts. Since 1999 she has participated in group exhibitions […]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5718″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Jurgita Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė’s work in the “Amber in Contemporary Jewellery” is distinctive in its anti-utilitarianism, thereby revealing the essence of conceptual jewellery. Her work titled Take Away is a philosophical meditation on the theme “fast, cheap, effective”, which is one of the main slogans in today’s world, which is overrun with goods made in China. Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė found the artistic commentary in this work in the recipe for the popular Lithuanian dessert tinginys (laziness): “two packages of cookies (amber will do), 100 grams of butter (epoxy resin works well), condensed milk (sand) and five tablespoons cocoa (iron oxide). Wait until it all hardens.” [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_position=”last”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė has a Master’s degree from the Vilnius Academy of Art (2004), where she studied in the Architecture and Design Department and specialised in jewellery-making. Since 2002, she has organised several solo exhibitions in Lithuania and has participated in many group exhibitions in Europe, mostly Poland, Russia and the Baltic States. Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė has received several professional awards, including the Grand Prix in the Alatyr-2005 competition organised by the Kaliningrad Amber Museum. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row el_position=”first”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”5699″ img_size=”large” img_link_target=”_self” el_position=”first last”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] The artistic language of Helfried Kodré’s jewellery is recognised by its geometric articulation. He enjoys playing with volumes and the interaction between them. “The cube and the square have been symbols of ideal proportion from time immemorial. In them is reflected the idea of the universe, of permanence and perfection, of regularity and divinity. (..) Throughout the history of philosophy, basic geometric forms have represented the perfect fusion of matter and spirit and the intermingling of space and time, which was an a priori given for Kant. Since the time of Heraclitus, Aristotle and Plato, the process of abstraction has been manifest therein as the sum of man’s knowledge and experience of his ontological condition.” Gallery owner Ellen Maurer-Zilioli has commented on the system of characters in Kodré’s work in the book Helfried Kodré—Structural Design and adds that he accepts generally accepted rules, yet is not afraid to question them. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_position=”first last”] Kodré is considered one of the pioneers of Austria’s conceptual jewellery movement. Born in Graz, he studied art history at the University of Vienna, but his meeting and eventual marriage to legendary jewellery artist Elisabeth Defner […]